


Portrait of an Art History Student

by ryankellycc



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Art History, Fluff, Gen, Getting Together, Graduate School, M/M, Other, bit o' angst, oikawa is a problem child, some foul language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-10 23:59:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5605915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryankellycc/pseuds/ryankellycc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Daichi's students knocks over a museum guest during a class tour. Their paths keep crossing and Daichi isn't too upset about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ever see someone really attractive admiring works by your favorite artist in a museum? Apparently, when this happens to me, I get hit with Daisuga feels and run home to write fanfiction. 
> 
> Happy New Year!

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” Daichi looked over his shoulder and glared at the cause of his current aggravation, a fidgety undergrad with wild orange hair. The student gulped loudly when he caught Daichi’s gaze.

“Make sure that it doesn’t. We appreciate and value our partnership with the university but we can’t have your students here if they are going to be a hazard to the works on display. You do understand that, right?”

“I do, yes, I completely understand. Thank you for your patience, sir. I promise it won’t happen again.”

The head of museum security nodded at the head of his desk. The room was exactly how Daichi had always imagined museum security would be, eerily lit and imposing, though he never thought he’d end up in the office begging the head of security to let a rambunctious student off the hook. He didn’t want his student to get in trouble at the museum because it would jeopardize all of his efforts to get them there, but he’d be sure to think of a fitting punishment. The stern voice of the head of security boomed in his ear.

“I’ll hold you to that, Mr. Sawamura.” He motioned to the door with his hand. “You two are free to go. Hopefully I don’t see either of you back in my office any time soon.” 

Daichi nodded. “Understood. Thank you, sir. Have a good day.” He got up, shook hands with the head of security, and grabbed his problem child on the way out. Once they were a couple minutes away from the office, Daichi let go of his student and clenched his fists. 

“I turned around for one second and you had not only bowled over a museum guest but also FELL INTO A PAINTING? Luckily for you, me, and the entire class, it had an intense dust cover, but what if it hadn’t? Hinata?”

Hinata was shorter than Daichi, but he seemed to shrink even further toward the museum floor. “Sorry Daichi. I really am. I just, Kageyama tried to trip me, so I punched him, and then he grabbed my hair. I was trying to get out of his grip when I hit that guy and then I lost my balance and I don’t know! I’m sorry!” Hinata was waving his arms to illustrate the punching, hair-grabbing, and pushing. His eyes were wide and shiny. 

Daichi closed his eyes. It would be very inappropriate for him to wail on one of his students. He went to his happy place, imagined himself handing in his finished doctoral thesis, smiling at the cameras of loved ones, and repeated ‘I will not smack my students on the back of the head’ to himself until he felt he could respond to Hinata without resorting to violence.

He heard Hinata squeak, “I know I should be in big trouble, but Kageyama should also be in trouble. It’s not fair that it’s just me!”

Daichi’s eyes snapped open, his mantra forgotten. He took a deep breath.

“Is that how you really feel? You’re not willing to take responsibility for your own actions?” 

Hinata wrung his hands and looked down. Daichi thought he heard a mumbled “yes.”

He let himself go. “That’s it. I dealt with you two goofing off in my section, I kept my mouth shut when I saw you two at each other’s throats in the professor’s lecture, and I just spent 25 minutes doing extreme damage control with the head of security at one of the most prestigious art museums on this side of the country. I’m not dealing with your childish fighting any more. If you two can’t work together like rational human beings, neither of you will be allowed back into my classroom.”

Hinata paled. “But the time to withdraw from classes passed ages ago. If we can’t come to section, we can’t take the tests and we’ll fail.”

“Then I suggest you work it out sooner rather than later.”

Hinata’s brow furrowed and Daichi could almost hear the cogs turning. In a small voice, Hinata asked, “what do you want us to do?”

Daichi thought for a moment before the lightbulb went off over his head. “You and Kageyama have to pick out two works from the special Renaissance exhibit that you almost destroyed and write me a paper that not only compares the works, but also takes into account the artists themselves. They were often in competition with one another, either directly or indirectly, so maybe you two can learn something about coexisting.” Daichi crossed his arms over his chest and smiled. He mentally patted himself on the back for coming up with the idea. Hinata, on the other hand, looked like he was going to be sick.

He groaned loudly and pouted. “Kageyama’s gonna pull my hair again when I tell him. He already hates my guts.”

Daichi sighed. Hinata looked uncharacteristically deflated, as well as a little afraid. Daichi had a feeling that they liked each other deep down, below the constant name-calling and hair-pulling, and he felt like this assignment might force them to work out their issues. Or it would be a horrible disaster. Daichi was willing to take that risk. 

“As your teaching assistant and rational human being, I’ll tell the both of you together. I’ll also send an email with the details so that there’s no misunderstanding.”

Hinata perked up almost immediately. “Thanks Daichi! Thanks for everything! We’ll make it the best paper you’ve EVER read!”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get ahead of yourself.” Daichi finally relaxed his shoulders and chuckled at Hinata’s enthusiasm. Teaching college students wasn’t easy, but he loved every minute of it. “We still need to meet up with the rest of the group and head back to campus. Do you remember what your victim looked like? The both of you have some apologizing to do.” Hinata nodded and rushed ahead. 

As he followed Hinata through the hallways of the museum, Daichi let his mind wander. Before Hinata’s spectacular display, Daichi was giving his students a tour of the new Renaissance exhibit. He was a teaching assistant in general art history, sure, but his passion for art was its most pure around the strong figures, colors, and humanism of the Renaissance masters. So, when he heard there would be a special exhibit featuring these pieces, he just about lost his mind. 

Within an hour of hearing about the arrival of the exhibit, he was at the professor’s office begging to let him organize trips to the museum for all his sections. Once he got the professor’s approval, he talked to all of the appropriate people, asked for more favors than he thought he could ever return, and filled out a stack paperwork as tall as he was. 

Daichi allowed himself to feel proud of these tours, not because he put a lot of time and energy into making them happen and not because he was selfish and wanted to spend as much time as possible around the works he studied, but because it was the perfect chance for him to share his passion with undergraduate students that might not cast a passing glance otherwise. 

Suddenly, they were in the main lobby and approaching their group. Daichi surveyed his students. There were Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who were attached at the hip. Tsukishima was quiet and cold and Yamaguchi was timid and unsure, but they worked together and held their own in class. Yamaguchi came to office hours sometimes, which warmed Daichi’s heart. Not many students went out of their way to visit him, so usually he was stuck listening to his officemate either charm female students or get yelled at by his best friend slash not-so-secret crush. 

Then there were Tanaka and Noya, who were retaking the class after withdrawing last semester. They were boisterous at the best of times and obnoxious at the worst, but they seemed to really enjoy the subject material. Daichi would never admit it aloud, but he sometimes imagined hanging out with them and laughing at their ridiculous antics as a friend instead of authority figure. He was careful about not crossing the boundary between student and teacher, though, so he doubted it would ever happen. He pushed it to the back of his mind.

Kiyoko and Yachi were standing together, Yachi giggling at Noya and Tanaka and Kiyoko reading something on her phone. Yachi was a very talented artist, though Daichi, always careful of overstepping his boundaries, never felt right bringing it up. Kiyoko asked her about it one morning before class started, so Daichi asked some his colleagues and found her pieces through the university’s art school. He felt a little creepy asking about her, but he was, when all was said and done, an art nerd, and he would support his students as much as he could.

Finally, his eyes landed on Kageyama. His height, dark hair, and deep blue eyes made him a bit physically intimidating, but it was his permanent scowl that made people shy away. Daichi knew he was smart, but he didn’t get along well with the other students. He and Hinata fought, but that was it for Kageyama’s social interaction.

Next to Kageyama, however, was an unfamiliar face. An unfamiliar face that was smiling warmly and patting Kageyama on the shoulder. A particularly handsome face with unkempt, silky hair, the color of morning clouds. Daichi should have been a little put off that some stranger was with his students, but there was an aura of calm around them, which, to Daichi, was completely out of the ordinary. Something about this stranger filled his chest with warmth. 

Hinata pulled on Daichi’s sleeve and pointed at the attractive stranger. “That’s the guy Kageyama made me push!” 

He raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at the sprightly redhead. Hinata corrected himself. “Sorry, that’s the guy that I accidently bumped into when Kageyama and I were, um, fighting?” He peered at Daichi to make sure that he said the right thing. Daichi nodded in approval.

“Good! I’m glad that we were able to locate your unsuspecting victim. Let’s go make sure he doesn’t want to sue you guys.”

Hinata yelped. Daichi laughed. He didn’t know the beautiful stranger, but he didn’t seem like a guy who would go around suing undergrads. 

“I’m kidding Hinata. Bad joke. Let’s go introduce ourselves and make nice.”

Hinata let out a giggle and ran toward Kageyama, who had noticed them and was currently backing up as Hinata ran towards him. 

“Kageyama! We’re not in trouble! Sort of! Daichi’s gonna talk to us when we get back to campus, but it’s not bad! I swear! Hey! Don’t pull my hair!”

Before Kageyama’s hand could reach Hinata’s mass of unruly hair, the attractive silver-haired stranger got right next to Kageyama, smiled brightly, and held out his hand to Hinata. Kageyama lowered his hand and stepped back, allowing the other two to shake hands. Daichi mustered all the cool he had to hide his astonishment. 

“Hi! You must be Hinata. We sort of met when you knocked me over. Kageyama was trying to apologize for you, I think.” Kageyama mumbled and looked down at the ground. Daichi’s jaw dropped. How did this person leak so much kindness that it even affected the most incorrigible grump? Daichi thought about asking him to co-teach his sections before realizing that the idea was entirely ridiculous. He was a professional, darn it!

Hinata grabbed the stranger’s hand. “I’m SO sorry! Thanks for being so nice. What’s your name? GWAH! Is that a sketchbook?” Hinata pointed at his open portfolio case and bounced on the balls of his feet.

The sterling-haired stranger covered his mouth with his hand. “Oh! Duh! Sorry! You can call me Suga and yes, this is a sketchbook. I come here sometimes to sketch, especially now the Renaissance exhibit is open. I could look at Titian all day. You all are lucky to come here as part of your class. You must have a heck of a teacher...” Suga looked at Daichi and winked. 

Daichi didn’t respond right away. He had been mesmerized by Suga’s eyes as he swooned over special exhibit and, when Suga winked, he felt like the luckiest person on the planet. It took him a few moments to regain the composure needed to stop starting at the beguiling stranger and step into the conversation. He held out his hand.

“Hi, so sorry about that. I’m Daichi. These are my idiots, er, students.” Noya and Tanaka cackled with mock offense while Hinata puffed his cheeks. Kageyama wore his signature scowl.

Suga laughed as they shook hands. Daichi couldn’t believe how warm Suga’s hands were. He looked down at their joined hands and noticed that Suga’s were smudged with graphite. Suga saw him look down and pulled his hand away quickly.

“Forgot about that, sorry! I have a towel if you need it?” Suga reached into the portfolio case slung over his shoulder. 

Daichi reached out and stopped Suga by putting his hand on his forearm. “No worries at all.” He was a little disappointed that he had to pull his hand away.

A light blush spread over Suga’s pale cheeks. “If you’re sure.” Suga glanced at Daichi’s students. “Anyway, seems like you have a fun group. They’ve been incredibly nice to me, you know. Must be a lot of work, keeping them in line.”

Daichi nodded ‘yes,’ and looked away, pretending to look in the direction of his group. He had been staring at Suga’s mole, right below his eye, admiring the way it drew attention to Suga’s honey eyes and high cheekbones. He wondered if he had moles all over his body that he could connect with his fingers, like tracing constellations in the sky. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so immediately connected to someone. Daichi groaned inwardly. The last thing he wanted to do was hit on this stranger in front of his students. What sort of example would that set for his rag-tag group of wayward undergrads? He couldn’t help sigh aloud, thinking that this wouldn’t be the last time he would have to put his career ahead of his personal interests. 

Suga caught the sigh and cocked his head, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear and smudging a bit of graphite on his temple. Daichi loved the way the museum lights highlighted the shimmering strands of Suga’s hair when they fell across his face. He wanted to reach out and wipe the smudge from his face so that he could touch his skin again. He shook his head quickly to stop that train of thought. Suga, still looking him, bit his bottom lip. Daichi cursed himself for thinking that Suga was a cute worrier. 

Daichi cleared his throat after the awkward silence. “Well, Suga, thanks again. We won’t take up any more of your time and risk damaging you, or the art, any further.” He smiled at Suga, taking in one last look and drinking in as many details as he could before turning to his students. “Alright guys, let’s head back to campus before someone else decides it would be a good idea to jump on any of the pieces.”

Daichi left quickly in the hopes that it would lessen his regret in leaving Suga behind. He didn’t look back, pretending that he had to keep an eye on his students, pretending that he wouldn’t spend the night thinking about the graphite-smudged stranger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi has a very Suga-centric weekend, for better or worse.

Since that Monday at the museum, Daichi held fast to his word. Kageyama and Hinata didn’t come to section on Monday or Wednesday, but showed up at his office hours on Friday afternoon to hand in their extra assignment. The pair entered Daichi’s office together, each holding one side of the paper. They literally handed it over together. Daichi would’ve chastised them for going overboard, but their sincerity won him over and he took the paper from the outstretched arms.

Hinata was bouncing on his heels and had a huge grin plastered on his face. Kageyama looked worried. Daichi glanced at the cover page, noticing the paper was about Titian and his relationship to the younger artists in Titian’s time through self-portraits. Daichi raised both eyebrows in surprise. He didn’t expect to want to read their paper. 

“Can you read it now? I’m really excited to hear what you think!”

“Also, we don’t want to fail, dumbass.” As soon as Kageyama said it, they both looked at their teacher, hoping he had missed the insult. Fortunately for them, he was already absorbed in the paper. After breathing a collective sigh of relief, the dynamic duo sat down on the couch and waited.

When he finished the paper, Daichi set the assignment down and coughed to clear his throat. The paper was way better than he expected. It wasn’t perfect by any means, and it was written in their respective styles, but subject matter of this caliber seemed out of place. He had to ask. 

“Purely out of curiosity, did you have help with this?”

“Yeah! We found -” Hinata stopped after Kageyama elbowed him in the side with a stern look on his face. Hinata covered his mouth. Daichi narrowed his eyes, ready to be disappointed. 

“Kageyama, let him talk.” 

Hinata shot Kageyama a dirty look. “As I was saying, we found Suga-san and he helped us pick out paintings and look up resources. He knows a lot about art!”

Daichi couldn’t mask his surprise, his interest irreparably piqued. He pretended not to remember the man he had be daydreaming about all week. “Suga… the guy from the museum?”

Hinata continued. “Yup! Kageyama and I went back to the museum on Tuesday and we were arguing in the special exhibit when Suga recognized us and came over. He was nice, he wanted to make sure we didn’t get in trouble over him. We told him about our special project and he said he could help if we wanted, so we got together to work on the paper. It was so much fun!”

Daichi usually had trouble following Hinata’s excited rambling, but, this time, he hung onto every word. Suga offered to help his ridiculous students? They all hung out? Daichi felt jealousy grip his heart and took a couple moments before responding to Hinata.

“Wow, that was very nice of him. Looks like running into him saved your grades.”

Hinata was happy, but Kageyama was scowling harder than usual. 

“He told us not to tell you,” Kageyama said quietly.

“Why not?” Daichi almost didn’t ask. He didn’t want the beautiful, kind, artist of his dreams to be tarnished with any sort of real-world ick. 

Hinata answered, looking at his hands in his lap. “Suga-san was worried that you would be upset if you knew that he was helping. He was very strict about us doing all of the work, but he didn’t want to get us in trouble. Also, he said he didn’t want to remind you of that day in the museum. He said he didn’t like the way you looked.” 

Daichi was disappointed, but not surprised. He always thought of himself as average, easily overlooked and boring. Why would Suga, an artist that lit up in front of the outrageously beautiful figures of Renaissance art, ever consider him attractive? 

Kageyama rolled his eyes before speaking. “That doesn’t make sense, idiot! Suga-san said that he didn’t like the way Daichi seemed stressed out that day and that he deserved some peace of mind. He didn’t like seeing him upset. Or something.”

Oh. Kind, caring, beautiful Suga. Daichi searched his mind for ways to continue this conversation in an appropriate manner. He had been thinking about the bewitching artist ever since that day, but his thoughts were blurry and muted, like faraway backgrounds in photos. With new information, Suga moved further into the foreground, gaining shape and detail.

But, after all was said and done, these were his students and he had no business prying into their social lives. It was a line Daichi didn’t feel comfortable crossing. He resigned himself to indulging in his memories of Suga until they eventually faded into nothing. He felt the familiar pang of regret, the same one he felt when he left Suga at the museum. 

“Well, guys, thank your lucky stars, I’m impressed with your teamwork. You’ll be welcome back to section starting Monday.”

Hinata jumped off the couch with his hand in the air. Kageyama rolled his eyes but the sides of this mouth turned up into a smile. 

After dismissing the pair from his office, Daichi tried to get back into grading section papers, but found himself flipping through his memories of Suga. He looked over his shoulder and pulled up a web browser. He felt pathetic, stalking Suga on the internet, but that didn't stop him.

Minutes later, he found Suga’s website. His finger hovered over the mouse; he wondered if Suga’s art was any good. It had never occurred to him that Suga was anything less than perfect. He braced himself, thinking that the sweet, silver-haired artist must have some flaw, and clicked the link. After scrolling through the works on his website, Daichi threw his hands up in defeat. 

From the website, he gathered that Suga favored graphite and he remembered the smudge on Suga’s temple, how he wanted to cup Suga's cheek and wipe it off with his thumb. Scrolling further down, Daichi was amazed at the tenderness in the facial expressions of his subjects, how Suga was able to whittle that tenderness from the dark of the pencil and the light of the paper. He wondered what it would feel like to have Suga's attentive gaze all to himself.

Daichi slumped into his standard-issue wooden chair and rested his head against the back of the chair, tearing his eyes away from the screen to stare at the ceiling. He repeated the events of the day at the museum again, remembering the exact moment when he saw Suga. He replayed it over and over in his head until office hours were over. He sat up, stretched, and gathered his things. 

As he was walking, he found Suga’s website on his phone and took a screenshot of his favorite piece. He appreciated art for a living and Suga was a talented artist, so it was totally legitimate and normal to want to look at his art every time he checked his phone. That was his reasoning and he stuck to it.

 

The next morning, cascading light of midday finally made Daichi stir from sleep. He lived for lazy Saturday mornings, when school wasn’t casting a dark cloud over his day and he could go about his business. His business that definitely had nothing to do with a mole beneath caramel eyes, a sweet smile, and silver hair. Crap. Daichi rubbed his head and cursed himself for not being able to go five minutes without thinking about the guy. 

Once out of bed, he got ready for his Saturday long run. Running didn’t help him think so much as give him leave not to think. He didn’t have to stress about his classes, worry about qualifying exams, or obsess over handsome artists, just listen to his breathing and the sound of his feet on the pavement. 

He decided to run off campus, close to a popular park, for a change of scenery. In an hour, he arrived at the park and started on the path that enclosed different courts, fields, and park amenities. He wasn’t paying much attention as the path passed the sand courts with volleyball nets until he saw a flash of silver. His breath hitched and he slowed down to get a better look at the head of ashen hair.

Sure enough, there was Suga, playing a casual game of volleyball. Daichi played in high school, so he recognized that Suga was setting. He slowed to a stop near a large tree and watched as Suga jumped to toss the ball, his loose long-sleeve shirt riding up as he lifted his arms. Daichi’s mouth parched when noticed the moles dotting Suga’s smooth stomach, proving that if he were to run his fingers along Suga’s skin, he could indeed make constellations. 

He tried his best not to let his eyes follow the line of Suga’s briefs above his gym shorts as they wound around his hips. Suga was slender, but his muscles were well-developed and lean. The devil on Daichi’s shoulder pointed to the curve of Suga’s ass under his shorts and the milky skin of his upper thighs. Daichi’s hand almost went to his shoulder to physically brush away the thought. He stared down the slippery slope of temptation. What was stopping him from marching up to the match and starting a conversation? So what if Suga helped his students with an assignment one time? They were off campus, had already met, had volleyball in common, and, most importantly, there were no students in sight. 

It was then that Daichi recognized the person who was spiking Suga’s tosses. The guy was waving to him, causing Daichi to jump behind the tree next to him. Once behind the tree, Daichi hit himself in the forehead. What kind of moron jumped behind a tree when he had already been seen? Why in the world was that his instinctual response? How old was he? He was mortified, especially when he heard the guy call his name from the court. 

The spiker calling his name was Asahi, a barista at Daichi’s favorite cafe on campus. He frequented that cafe a lot since starting his program and enjoyed exchanging pleasantries. Asahi was a huge guy, tan skin ripped with muscle, with a long hair and unkempt facial hair. He looked like the guy mob bosses would ask to “take care of business,” so, when Daichi found out that he was made of glass, he couldn’t help himself. They weren’t really friends, but Daichi loved teasing him like they were. He also made a darn good latte, earning him a special spot in Daichi’s heart.

Still behind the tree, Daichi weighed his options. He could run away quickly and never visit the cafe again. Not an option. He could just wave and run past the court, pointing to his shoe like he stopped behind the tree to tie it. Who would believe that? He could just go over and own up to it. He thought about his students, about leading by example, and about the person standing next to Asahi. Daichi puffed his chest and pushed away from the tree.

As he got closer to Asahi and Suga, he was happier and happier with his decision. He would get to talk to Suga again. He was almost giddy with the prospect of learning more about the artist free from the confines of professional responsibility. Asahi was his age, and he wasn’t his student, so there was really no risk in taking some liberties. 

Awkward tree-hiding forgotten and renewed vigor in his step, he greeted the barista.

“Hey, Asahi! What’s up?” 

Daichi clapped Asahi’s shoulder, startling him. Suga noticed Asahi’s little jump and brought his hand to his mouth to muffle his laughter. Daichi had never hung out with these two people in his life but it felt like it was the most normal thing in the world. 

Asahi responded, “not much, just playing a little volleyball. Nothing formal or anything!” He held his hands up like he was caught stealing. 

Daichi chuckled. “Looks like fun. I played a little in high school.” He looked at Suga, who was looking at him expectantly. Asahi looked between Daichi and Suga and let out an “eep.”

“Oh! Um, sorry guys. Suga, this is Daichi, he keeps the cafe in business.” Daichi blushed, suddenly self-conscious of his coffee addiction. “Daichi, this is Suga. Um. I guess we’ve been friends since high school?”

Daichi’s head jerked back in surprise when Suga punched Asahi in the arm, hard. Asahi cowered, hand over the spot where Suga just punched. The poor guy looked terrified. If Asahi weren’t three times as big as Suga, he would’ve been worried. 

“Asahi! You have nothing else to say about our friendship? Daichi gets a cute comment and I get nothing?!” Suga’s hands were on his hips as he cocked his head at the quaking giant. 

Asahi scrambled for words, “I, uh, Suga, he -”

“I’m KIDDING, you big goofball. Sheesh.” Suga gently nudged the taller man, who looked recovered and was scratching the back of his head. Suga crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. 

Daichi let out the breath he was holding and laughed. Daichi could only assume this happened often and was envious of their closeness and understanding. Suga’s playful grin make him weak in the knees. 

“It’s funny, actually, Daichi and I met a week or so ago. His student knocked me over at the museum.”

Asahi racked his brain before recalling the story. “Oh yeah!” He stopped smiling as the gears kept turning. “Wait, student? Was Daichi the handsome teach-” Asahi got another punch, this time it was in the side. He winced and Suga glared at him with wide eyes. 

Daichi couldn’t focus on Asahi, though, because his brain was short-circuiting. Was Asahi about to say handsome teacher? Did Suga say that about him? He felt heat course through his veins. Daichi decided that maybe it wasn’t totally crazy to get to know Suga better if it was only in front of Asahi. Maybe they could all go out together. Daichi took a big leap and allowed himself to hope. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a shout.

“YO TEACH!” 

Daichi felt his shoulders sag. He should’ve known better.

Suga and Asahi waved at Tanaka, who was carrying a volleyball and a gym bag. 

“Suga, Asahi! Sorry I’m a late.” Tanaka turned to address Daichi, “Teach, you playing too?”

Daichi barely managed a polite “hello” and didn't respond to Tanaka's question. He didn’t want to broadcast his disappointment in front of one of his students.

Tanaka stood between Asahi and Suga and slung his arms casually around Suga's neck. “Daichi, it was so crazy! I walked out of my apartment the other morning and saw this dude,” Tanaka squeezed his arm around Suga, “coming out of the apartment down the hall.” 

Suga responded by rolling his eyes and patting Tanaka’s arm while he continued his story. “I was like WHOA! That’s totally the guy that Hinata rammed into at the museum! Who’d a thunk that we were neighbors all this time? We never noticed each other! Next thing I know, we’re talking about volleyball, Suga mentions his giant friend, and we’re making all these plans to play. Noya’s coming in a bit, too! Couldn’t leave him hanging, amIright?”

Daichi struggled to maintain composure. He was torn between hating that Suga seemed to be a part of everyone’s life but his and loving that his students were bonding and making new friends. He couldn’t decide on either hate or love, so he chose self-loathing. How could he allow himself to think that he could have Suga all to himself, or even at all? He had his career, his work, and that would have to be enough. Suga could only be a dream. He needed to get out of there.

Suga’s voice shone a light on his dark thoughts. “Wanna join? You’re certainly dressed the part!”

Daichi wanted to punch something out of frustration. “No, thanks, Suga. I better get going. It was,” Daichi tried to swallow, “really nice running into you again. Asahi, you too.” He turned to Tanaka and cleared his throat. “Tanaka, you and Noya better not be late on Monday. I’m going to have to start docking points.”

Tanaka saluted. “Yes, Daichi, sir!”

With that, Daichi turned around and walked back to the path. He was about to start jogging when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Confused, he turned around only to be face to face with his tragic love interest.

Suga bit his lip. “Um, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there. Is it weird that I hang out with your students? It just sort of happened. Tanaka and I have been neighbors for months, apparently.”

Daichi nodded no and tried to smile. “Not at all, I’m just glad to see them all getting along and making friends. Does a teacher’s heart proud.” He patted his chest. 

Suga smiled sweetly. “You sound like such a dad, Daichi.”

Daichi blushed and looked at the ground. He didn’t want to respond and ruin the moment, he thought that maybe, if he didn’t say anything, he would be able to stand there with Suga forever. 

Suga tried to to catch Daichi’s eyes. “I saw you watching us play, y’know.”

Daichi cringed, still looking at the ground. “Oh?”

“You should play with me and Asahi sometime! It’d be fun! We don’t have to invite Tanaka or Noya. It could just be me, Asahi, and some people I know?”

Daichi finally looked up and quickly snapped a mental picture of Suga standing in front of him. He shivered in an oversize shirt, sleeves over his hands, and his hair, slightly slicked with sweat, was getting tousled by the breeze. Suga looked at him like he wanted nothing more than for Daichi to say ‘yes.’

“Thanks for the offer, really, but I couldn’t. School and teaching keep me pretty busy.” He pretended to check the time on his watch. “I should get going, anyway, it’s a long run back to my apartment and it's a bit chilly.”

“Ah,” Suga replied. Daichi thought he sounded sad, but assumed he was just projecting his own feelings. Daichi knew he had to leave but he stood in place.

“Oh, before I forget, thanks for helping Kageyama and Hinata with their paper.”

Suga huffed. “Those idiots weren’t supposed to tell you!” 

Daichi laughed, feeling a little better now that he could focus on his students success instead of his impossible crush. “Don’t be too hard on them. It was the first time that I actually enjoyed reading an assignment.”

Suga glowed. Daichi took another mental snapshot to add to his collection. 

“It was fun. They really like you and, I’m not gonna lie, I loved listening to them talk about you.”

Daichi was stunned. Hearing the words come from Suga’s lips lit a flame in his chest, but they were the very reason he told himself that he could never make anything happen between them. 

“Thanks. Really. I -” I want to see you again. I want to take you out and spoil you. I want to hang your drawings on my wall and show everyone how talented you are. I want to hold your hand and run my fingers through your hair while you fall asleep. “I should get going. Looks like the guys are getting impatient without you.” Daichi motioned to the sand court.

Suga glanced over his shoulder. “I guess you're right. I’ll let you go. Maybe I’ll see you again soon? Seems like our worlds keep colliding.”

Daichi agreed. It hurt to know that he would never have a chance, but the idea of never seeing Suga again felt like a thousand needles in his heart. “Yeah, see you around, Suga.”

“See you around, Daichi.”

He watched Suga jog back to the court, smiling and patting everyone on the back. He saw Noya join them from the path opposite. He jumped on Tanaka and they both fell over, Suga bent over laughing and Asahi ran to them to make sure they were okay. When the gentle giant got to the pair, Noya pulled Asahi down, too, making Suga laugh so hard he had to put a hand on the ground.

Daichi forced himself to turn away and start jogging the opposite direction. When he was running he didn’t have to think about how much he had wanted to stay.

 

 

Sunday morning found Daichi walking toward Asahi’s cafe, bleary-eyed and bogged down with books. He looked down at his phone for the time and smiled. The lock screen was of one of Suga’s drawings.

He saw Asahi behind the espresso machine when he entered the cafe. 

“Asahi! Twice in one weekend! Tired of me yet?”

Asahi looked horrified. “No! You’re my favorite customer! I wouldn’t get tired of you! Do you really think that?”

Daichi snickered. “Alright then, big guy. We’re good. Can I have a latte for here? I’m hunkering down for the day.” Asahi nodded, typed something into his phone, and turned to the espresso bean grinder. 

As Asahi worked, Daichi found a table and unloaded all of his books and materials. He couldn’t believe he was actually looking forward to studying. His usual amount of focus had been forcefully redirected yesterday and he spent all of Saturday evening trying to quell his wishful thinking. He heard Asahi call his name and walked up to grab his drink. 

The barista peered over the counter at Daichi’s table. “Studying on a Sunday?”

Daichi sipped his latte before answering. Heaven. “Mhm. A graduate student’s work is never done.”

Asahi blushed, a small smile creeping onto his face. “Oh, well, good luck!” 

Daichi walked back to his table, sat down, and started to read, losing himself in the soft skin of Titian’s classical figures and only occasionally thinking about Suga’s graphite-smudged face and wind-tousled hair. 

Thirty minutes later, his phone buzzed with a text from Michimiya, another art history doctoral candidate. They had actually gone to high school together, went separate ways for college, and reconnected when they spotted each other at the graduate orientation. He still couldn’t believe they they ended up on the same track and at the same university, but he was thankful for it. He didn’t have many people he felt comfortable calling friends. 

From: Michimiya Yui  
Studying?

To: Michimiya Yui  
You know it. At campus cafe. Join me?

From: Michimiya Yui  
It’s a date! See you in 5. 

Daichi locked his phone and rested his eyes on the lock screen before putting it back in his pocket. Michimiya was a sweet girl in general, but he couldn’t help think that she had a little crush on him. He wasn’t interested in women, but he enjoyed their closeness and innocent physical intimacy shared between old friends. 

Sure enough, five minutes later, the door chimed and Michimiya walked in, lugging a bag of books. Daichi waved as she scanned the room, catching her attention. She pointed to Asahi, made a drinking motion with her hand, and flashed him a big smile. He gave her a thumbs up and returned the smile. 

He overheard her order her drink and make conversation with Asahi. When he asked her if she would be taking her coffee or staying, she pointed at Daichi and said, “For here, please. I’ve got a hot date!” He thought he saw Asahi pale as he nodded, finishing up her drink and quickly typing something into his phone. 

Michimiya made her way over and plopped down next to Daichi with a sigh. “Ready for this?”

Daichi cracked his knuckles. “I was born ready.”

Ten minutes later, Daichi was mindlessly tapping his pencil on an open book. Michimiya started nudging him in the side. He smiled and started tapping his pencil harder. She tried to grab the pencil from his hands. He didn’t hear the door open or see who walked into the cafe right as he grabbed Michimiya’s hand and booped her on the nose, making her flush red with laughter. 

He did look up, however, when he heard Asahi yelp, and his eyes met with the very ones that looked back at him in his dreams. Suga’s face was flushed, like he had run to the cafe, and he was just staring, all traces of light-heartedness from yesterday gone. Daichi saw a flicker of emotion pass through his eyes - sadness? - before he looked away and turned to Asahi.

Daichi’s heart lept into his throat and he felt like his heart was breaking. Why did Suga look at him like that? Why didn’t he say anything? Without thinking and without taking his eyes off Suga, he started to take the books off his lap. 

Asahi had his hands up. Suga pointed to his phone and whispered something to the barista. Asahi shrugged and showed him his phone, before Suga looked back down at his. Daichi thought back to Asahi typing something into his phone during his order. He felt the puzzle pieces click into place - was it possible that Asahi let Suga know he was at the cafe? 

Suga nodded at Asahi, paused, and turned to wave at Daichi. He was smiling, but it wasn’t the genuine smile that Daichi knew and loved. It was like he was looking at a Suga-mask with a penciled-in expression and empty eyes. Suga said something quietly to Asahi and left, turning toward the train station.

Daichi stood up quickly and moved to follow Suga, but his leg got caught on his bag. He hurried to extricate himself from the straps holding him in place. While fidgeting with the straps on his bag, he heard Michimiya say something about Oikawa, his obnoxious officemate and their fellow doctoral candidate. Daichi didn’t have time for that creepy bastard, but he did felt bad about abandoning Michimiya.

He looked at her as he put on his coat, “Sorry, Mich, what was that?” He started throwing books back into his bag, hoping that he would make it in time to catch up with Suga.

“I was just saying that gray-haired guy looks familiar. I’m 95% sure Oikawa went out with him, or is going out with him?” She shrugged. “You going somewhere?”

Daichi stopped packing his bag. 

“What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the comments and kudos on the first chapter! And thank you for continuing the adventure with me! 
> 
> Next (and last, unless I do a small epilogue) chapter will be out next Saturday, January 16th.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi gets some news about Suga and their worlds collide again. Will Daichi let Suga walk away for good this time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the final countdown! THANK YOU to everyone who read, gave kudos on, and commented on this story. I know there are lots of works on this website and I'm truly honored that you stopped by to read mine.
> 
> Enjoy!

“What?”

Daichi froze. Michimiya had already gone back to shuffling through her papers, making notes in the margins as she answered. 

“I’m pretty sure that was him, the gray hair is fairly unique. Anyway, yeah, the guy came to a couple grad events on Oikawa’s arm. You’d know if you actually came to any. You’re like, a mole or something, always preferring to stay home instead of socializing with the rest of us.”

Daichi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He tried to figure out what was upsetting him the most. Was he jealous of Oikawa Tooru? Yeah, Oikawa worked hard and proved himself time and time again as an academic, but the guy was a creep. Well, then should he be wary of Suga? Was he just some crazy artist with a teacher fetish? Did he date around the university just to make connections? These thoughts made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to exist in a world where Suga was anything like Oikawa. Michimiya took Daichi’s prolonged pause as a signal to keep talking. 

“I mean, you know how Oikawa is, though. He sees a pretty face and makes it part of his diabolical plot to get Iwaizumi to notice and fall madly in love with him.” Iwaizumi Hajime was also a graduate student, but in a different department. He and Oikawa had been friends for ages, and Daichi assumed that Oikawa had been in love with him for about that long. Daichi tried his best to stay out of the personal lives of his peers, but sharing an office with Oikawa made that difficult. 

Michimiya laughed to herself, “like making Iwaizumi jealous is going to get him anywhere. He’s such a smart guy, but his personal life seems like a nightmare.” 

Daichi looked at the door as he took in Michimiya’s words. He thought about doors, how they were only significant because of what they connected. He thought about Suga, about his beautiful smile, the real one, before he thought about Oikawa’s knowing grin, the devious and cruel one. He saw the back of Suga’s head fade into the distance as the door closed in his mind. There were people who were supposed to go through doors, and there were those to whom doors were closed, inmates in a prison. 

“No, I’m not going anywhere.” His bag fell from his hands and landed with a loud “thump.”

The noise startled Michimiya, who looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “It looked he waved before leaving, do you know him?”

Daichi looked at her and put on his professional smile, the one of a condemned man resigned to his fate. “Nothing’s going on. Just got up to stretch. I think I might’ve seen him once or twice off campus. Maybe we should get back to studying, hm?” He tried to sound playful and upbeat, but his voice was flat and empty. 

Michimiya was suspicious, but decided not to push it. “Daichi, always the voice of reason.”

He let out a breath that he hoped passed for a laugh and looked down at his books and notes. He felt Asahi’s gaze on the two of them and assumed that he heard every word. He couldn’t bear the weight of Asahi’s worry or disappointment much longer, so he got up to order another coffee. 

He approached the counter. “Hey, Asahi, what was that all about?” He motioned to the door. 

Asahi followed his hand. “You mean Suga?”

Daichi nodded.

“He, uh, thought he left something at the cafe, but he didn’t?” His favorite barista was a terrible liar. Daichi didn’t quite know how to go about asking his next question, so he dove in and hoped for the best. 

“Okay. Hey, did you hear what we were talking about at the table, right after Suga left?”

Asahi’s eyes widened. “What? No-o. No.” Another lie. He looked so uncomfortable that Daichi couldn’t bring himself to continue the line of questioning just because he wanted to find some relief for himself. 

“Okay. Sorry, that was a weird question. Um, can I get another latte?”

Asahi nodded and went to work. The door chimed again and his treacherous heart almost leapt straight out of his chest. He turned around, hoping that they had gone back in time and Suga would burst through the door again, just to see Noya coming into the cafe, hands in pockets and humming happily. His student walked to the counter and stood next to Daichi without recognizing him. Daichi was stunned. 

The barista turned around and almost dropped the mug in his hand when Noya yelled, “Asahi!” 

Asahi scrambled to steady the mug, catching a little bit of the hot coffee with his hand. He put the mug down where the finished drinks go and brought the small burnt area of his hand to his mouth. 

Daichi stood up straight and said in his most commanding voice, “I believe you owe Asahi an apology.”

Noya’s shoulders tensed and he turned to his art history teacher. He cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders, and apologized to the barista with mock formality. 

“Dearest Asahi, I’m terribly sorry for causing you to spill a delicious-looking latte on your hand. Do you require any assistance?”

Asahi blushed. “No, it’s no problem, you’re not a problem. I’m just a little, um, clumsy sometimes.”

Noya’s eyebrows arched dramatically. “Clumsy, huh?” He turned to Daichi. “Teach, you should see this guy play volleyball. He’s got a ton of power and precision. A regular ace, if you ask me!” Noya cocked his head. “Tanaka told me that you left right before I got there. Why didn’t you stay? Hot date??” Noya nudged Daichi forcefully in the side. Asahi looked at him with curiosity. 

“I had a lot of work to get back to at home yesterday. Didn’t want to be a damper on the fun.” Daichi pointed to the books at the table he was sharing with Michimiya.

Noya nodded sagely. “Sure you did. Just be careful. All work and no play makes you dull boy, teach.” 

Daichi rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the lecture, but I should be getting back to studying the stuff that will actually help me.”

Noya smirked. Daichi waved at at the two of them as he made his way back to the table. 

“Could’ve asked me if I wanted another?” Michimiya eyed her empty mug. 

“Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.” At least it wasn’t a lie. 

He settled back into the seat next to his study partner and tried to get back into his notes. If his thoughts weren’t distracting enough, Noya and Asahi were. Noya had a coffee in his hand, in a paper cup, but he stayed at the counter and talked to the barista, only pausing for Asahi to help other customers. Daichi watched as Noya jumped to imitate one of Asahi’s spikes. The tips of Asahi’s ears pinked at every compliment. When Asahi returned the compliments, Noya put his hands on his hips and smiled like a million bucks just fell from the sky. 

As he watched his boisterous student make wild gestures with his hands, Daichi transported himself back to the park and sand courts. In his vision, he never turned his back on Suga. He was there, laughing along with Suga, a hand on his back. Daichi wiped the tears from Suga’s eyes and they started to play. The ball came over the net, he received it, sent it to Suga, Suga tossed it to Asahi, Asahi spiked it and they got the winning point. Daichi imagined himself locking eyes with and running after his giggling silver-haired artist. He caught Suga, picked him up, and swung him around, like a scene right out of a movie. 

All of a sudden, the sky darkened like there was a storm coming. The weight disappeared from his arms and Suga walked away from him. Daichi tried to follow, but his feet were stuck in place. Suga approached Oikawa, who appeared from the storm clouds, and slipped his graphite-smudged hands into Oikawa’s long-fingered, skeleton-like grip. Oikawa flashed his smuggest grin and ripped Suga into the darkness. Suga never looked back.

The sky was still dark and all of a sudden the courts were full of people. He felt his students nodding in disapproval, like he was never qualified enough to become their teacher in the first place. He couldn’t move on his own but he was being dragged among his peers and his professors, who were whispering and scowling. He was stuck right in the middle of all of the drama he so carefully avoided all these years. 

The sound of a book dropping and Michimiya cursing softly to herself snapped Daichi out of his nightmare. He slowed his breathing to slow his heart rate and tried not to desperately gasp for air. No, he couldn’t be hung up on Suga. Noya, Tanaka, Kageyama, Hinata, and all of his students could be friends with Suga, but it wasn’t an option for him. His life was here, in a cafe, in his notes, swimming among the old masters. Not with Suga. Not with any of them.

He used to want more and more details to bring the Suga in his mind further into the foreground, but, in that moment, he decided that he didn’t want any more. He would have to be happy just to dream about his angel artist. 

“You ready to go? I think you clocked out for a bit there.”

He nodded. They packed their things and got up to leave. Both Noya and Asahi were too distracted to notice. It was better that way.

The door opened and a burst of cold air hit Daichi square in the face. Michimiya was walking next to him, lugging her bag of books. 

“Can I carry those for you?”

Michimiya sighed with relief. “Yes! You’re a lifesaver. Walk me home?”

Daichi looked around. Michimiya’s apartment was only slightly out of the way, which was a relief. He wasn’t ready to be alone with his thoughts. 

“Yeah, no problem,” he said as he swung her bag over his shoulder. 

They walked in silence until they reached Michimiya’s door. She opened it and turned to face her old friend.

“You look sad, Daichi.”

He figured as much, but feigned surprise. “Oh? I’m just tired.”

“I don’t know what happened, but you can talk to me. You know that right?”

He nodded, even though he would never burden her with his troubles. 

“Okay. Get home safe. Text me if you need to talk or want to hang out.” She grabbed his shoulder and Daichi rested his hand on hers. 

“Thanks, Mich. See you around.” Daichi turned to walk toward his apartment and struggled to keep his mind blank.

When he got in the door, he dropped his bag, toed off his shoes, and sat on the couch without turning on the lights. He would work hard. He would conquer his stupid crush, his heart, but he needed one night to not be okay. That night, in the dark, he would sulk on the couch and throw pillows at the wall. In the dark, he repeated to himself that, starting the next day, Monday, he would stop dreaming about what could’ve been and focus on his life in front of him. It would be a good week.

 

Daichi did not have a good week. Monday found him back at class, docking points left and right for tardiness. Both Tanaka and Noya were late, even though they arrived separately, and Hinata and Kageyama couldn’t be bothered to actually come in the classroom, choosing instead to shove each other in the doorway and block every other student from entering. After taking points away, the offenders pouted and whined while the innocent students just sat wide-eyed and silent. 

On Tuesday, he had an appointment with his advisor in which he was told that his original thesis proposal was, in fact, trite, and spending years working on something so unoriginal would be a waste of everyone’s time. He had to either dig deeper into an already niche topic or start over and go another direction entirely. Daichi added “bruised ego” to his list of emotional ailments.

Wednesday, he was back in class dealing with his knuckle-headed students. Hinata mentioned something about playing volleyball, which caused the class to stir and lose focus. The thoughts of Suga that he had somehow managed to suppress all came flooding back. He masked his pain and gave the most boring lecture of his life. His students’ eyes glazed over and Daichi felt like the worst teacher in the school.

He went to the special Renaissance exhibit on Thursday in the hope that his favorite works would soothe his soul, remind him why he taught, and inspire his search for a decent thesis proposal, but all he could do was stare at the empty space previously, albeit very briefly, occupied by the guy that he simultaneously tried to forget and hold on to for dear life. By the end of the evening, he was face-first in a dusty book on the top floor of the library. He knew he was in a bad way when the flickering fluorescent light seemed like a pleasant distraction. 

When his students walked into the classroom on Friday, Daichi was rubbing his head, not sure if he was happy about end of the week or afraid that he would be spending another weekend dwelling on impossible things and haunted by images of his officemate. 

The class was full of Friday energy, but everyone was on time and no one got on his nerves. As Daichi led the class discussion, he couldn’t help but feel like the class was gelling into a cohesive unit and he allowed himself some happiness for the first time that week.

After dismissing the class, he was surprised to see Yachi approaching him. She was gripping a half-sheet flyer like it might fly out of her trembling hand. She put the flyer on the desk in front of him.

“Daichi-san, I was wondering if you wanted to come to my art show on Saturday?”

In the half-second it took for him to glance at the flyer, Yachi started to ramble. 

“It’s okay if you don’t, it might not be appropriate, or something, and I know you don’t know I’m an artist, but I know you like art and it’s my first show, if no one comes I might not be able to show again and I’m really nervous - “

He noticed the show was at Asahi’s cafe, so it was close to home. It was also a chance to let Yachi know that he thought she was very talented. Deeper down, he was grateful for plans that didn’t involve stewing over the image of hi obnoxiously handsome officemate and his long fingers on Suga’s pale skin. 

“Wow, Yachi, your first art show. That’s an amazing accomplishment. I’d love to go. Thank you.”

She smiled brightly, reminding him of Hinata. “Thanks Daichi! Everyone else from the class is coming, so it’ll be fun!”

“I’m looking forward to it. See you then, Yachi.” She bowed before returning to her seat and grabbing her things. 

Daichi caught a glint Hinata’s wild hair out of the corner of his eye. He was jumping up and down and Kageyama was watching him intently. As they walked out, Kageyama grabbed the back of Hinata’s sweatshirt so that they walked at the same speed. It was adorable.

Daichi couldn’t help but smile and wonder if, since he was the one who got them to work together so perfectly, the same feeling swelled in Suga’s chest when Hinata and Kageyama did something cute in front of him. He remembered when Suga had called him a “dad.” He imagined Suga rubbing his back and smiling at him like they just shared something important, like they were parents proud of their kids. 

Daichi’s phone vibrated and Suga faded from his mind. He packed his bag to make his way to office hours.

When he found his shared office empty, Daichi let relief wash over him as he lowered himself down in his chair and pulled up the lock screen on his phone. 

“OOOOH Daichi, whatcha lookin’ at?”

Daichi closed his eyes to steady himself. “Hey Oikawa, I didn’t know you’d be in today.” 

Polite but disinterested. He didn’t want to give Oikawa any sort of window into his mental state. His officemate rarely missed an opportunity to choke someone with their exposed heartstrings. 

“Hmmm, I wasn’t supposed to be but Iwa-chan got mad at me during our study session so I huffed my sweet ass out of there. He can’t treat me like that! So mean.” Oikawa pouted. 

“So you came to the one place you definitely knew Iwaizumi would find you when he came running.” Daichi said flatly. Iwaizumi’s office was just down the hall.

Oikawa sat on the edge of Daichi’s desk and drew designs with his fingers in the stained wood. He hummed in agreement before snatching Daichi’s phone and holding it out of Daichi’s reach. He squinted at Suga’s drawing on the lock screen before Daichi could grab it out of his hand. 

“Oh, I know that guy! Sugawara Koushi, right?” Oikawa smacked his lips in way that made Daichi gag. He tried his best to leave before Oikawa finished talking, not caring that he was cutting his office hours short. He wasn’t fast enough, though. He never was.

“Mr. Refreshing. I thought he would be the perfect guy to make Iwa-chan jealous. I took him out on a couple dates but he was SO BORING, Daichi.” Oikawa scrunched up his face. “Boring and NICE. Too nice. My teeth are rotting just thinking about him.”

He didn’t want to say anything he regretted so he bit his lip and stayed silent, hoping that Oikawa wouldn’t notice the rising color in his cheeks and his clenched fists. 

Oikawa smirked, looked down at his nails, and said airily, “of course, I slept with him, but I could barely look at his face by the end. Kicked him out as soon as I finished.” He laughed. “Iwa-chan didn’t get a rise out of it, so it was a waste of time.” 

Daichi squeezed his eyes shut and saw beautiful, flushed Suga being taken by Shitty-kawa. “Right, Oikawa. Too bad that, after all these years, Iwaizumi is still disgusted by your shady crap.”

Oikawa feigned distress. “Daichi, don’t be cruel. It doesn’t suit you.” He paused. “You’re angry. I wonder why?” Then, his eyes lit up. “Oh! Do you have a little crush on Mr. Refreshing? Hmm. Too bad I got there first.”

Daichi was angry, but he was surprised to find that most of his anger was directed at himself. He knew it was completely unreasonable, but he was pissed that he wasn’t there to protect Suga, or make him smile after the jerk brushed him off, or kiss the beauty mark under his eye so that he wouldn’t cry. Daichi was done. He got up and left without saying anything more and ignored Oikawa’s cackling as it floated after him.

 

The next morning, even though it was a Saturday, Daichi woke up early. He forced himself to take a morning jog, spent a couple hours studying for the qualifying exams he would have to take in a few short months, and revised his thesis proposal for the umpteenth time. He called his parents to give them a weekly update and cleaned his bathroom. 

Accomplishing these things calmed Daichi after his long week and awful discussion with Oikawa, but he had never felt so conflicted. He wanted all of Suga and none of Suga. He couldn’t envision a version of his life that included his smiling, caramel-eyed artist, but he didn’t want to think of a life without him. 

He laughed to himself as he vacuumed the floor. His lifestyle came off as boring to most people his age. It made him consider what Oikawa said about Suga. Oikawa labeling him as boring, while meant to be condescending, almost endeared him to Suga more. He had a quiet life and would enjoy a person with whom he could be his boring, steady self. He didn’t know Suga well, but he felt in his heart that, with Suga, he wouldn’t feel like he wasn’t enough. 

The walls that Daichi put up between himself and Suga were crumbling, and, instead of rushing to rebuild them like he had been doing until now, he sat back and watched them erode. 

After vacuuming the floor, Daichi checked the time and noticed that it was time to head to Yachi’s show. He put away his books, cleaning supplies, and notes, grabbed his jacket, and headed out into the cold. 

It was a short, rainy walk to the cafe and Daichi was glad he grabbed his heavier jacket. The coffee shop was warm and welcoming, already full of people even though he arrived before the time written on Yachi’s flyer. Daichi walked right over to his favorite barista.

“Asahi!”

Asahi looked up from the espresso machine. Daichi noticed the long line of cups and decided to wait until Asahi was less busy to order a drink. He waved and mouthed “good luck.” Asahi mouthed “thanks” and went back to making drinks. 

Daichi scanned the room, spotting Yachi almost immediately. She was standing in front of a large canvas, which exaggerated her already petite figure, and wringing her hands. Kiyoko was right next to her, talking quietly. Yachi was nodding, but it looked less like she was comprehending Kiyoko’s words and more like she had a nervous tic. Yachi caught Daichi’s eye and waved him over.

“Daichi! I can’t believe you’re here!”

He smiled wide and approached his students. “Of course. Thank you for inviting me. I haven’t had a chance to walk around yet, but I’m impressed already. How do you feel?”

Yachi sighed like she was having a good dream. “I’m nervous, but everyone has been so nice. Hinata just texted me to let me know that everyone from class is on the way. I’m so thankful that everyone is coming to support me.” Yachi was looking down as she made her last comment, which prompted Kiyoko to put a hand lightly on her shoulder.

Kiyoko cleared her throat to speak. “There’s also another artist on display, back in the corner by the sofa.”

Daichi was a bit taken aback. He was under the impression that this was Yachi’s big day and he couldn’t help but worry that someone had forced their way into the show. “Oh yeah? Yachi, I thought this was your show?”

She looked at Kiyoko like she wasn’t sure what to say. Kiyoko nodded and Yachi nodded back.

“Well, they actually helped me set the whole thing up. I had to beg them to agree to put up a piece or two of their own work. Even then, they told me that I had to chose the pieces because it was my show.”

Daichi relaxed. “Oh, nice, I’ll make sure to take a peek at this mystery artist.” Daichi looked over his shoulder to see a line forming, presumably to greet Yachi. 

“I’m going to leave you to your adoring fans, but I’ll make sure to find you before I leave. Congratulations again!”

Daichi left the pair to start admiring his student’s work. He knew it would be a little modern for his taste, mixed media with bold colors and abstract themes, but, even though he didn’t feel an emotional connection to her work, he was impressed with her talent. 

On the other side of the cafe, the door chimed and a large group entered. There was loud whooping, the sound of someone getting hit on the head, and shouts of Yachi’s name. He didn’t even have to look to know that it was his group. 

Daichi heard his name and saw Hinata jumping and waving. Kageyama rolled his eyes but stuck right by the fiery-haired wild child. Tanaka was swooning over Kiyoko and Noya was at the espresso bar chirping at Asahi. Tsukishima had a bored look on his face as he was being pulled along by Yamaguchi, who pointed at each work and gushed. 

He waved back to Hinata, made the “I’m watching you gesture” to Tanaka, and went back to Yachi’s work. Out of habit, he went into art nerd mode and started listing what he loved, where he saw the work influenced by others, and how each material interacted with the others.

After going through more than half of the works on display, Daichi felt his caffeine withdrawal kick in and glanced over at the espresso bar to see if things had calmed down for Asahi. His eyes fell on the couple at the bar. Suddenly, it like an animal was trying to claw its way out of his stomach. 

Suga, shivering in a thin cardigan, was trying to wipe water off of himself. Oikawa, in a warm waterproof jacket, had just finished ordering coffee when Daichi made eye contact. His officemate grinned and stepped up to Suga to nuzzle the silver hair that fell behind his ears. Suga tried to shake him off, but Oikawa must’ve whispered something in Suga’s ear that caused him to freeze. Slowly, Suga turned to meet Daichi’s gaze. He thought he saw Suga’s face drop slightly when they made eye contact and he waved without feeling. The whole situation made Daichi’s skin crawl. 

Oikawa snaked his hand around Suga’s waist and pulled him close. What was Oikawa’s game? He didn’t even like Suga. Daichi thought back to the conversation they had in the office yesterday. Oikawa must be using Suga as a pawn to try to make Daichi lose his composure. He cursed himself for being so careless. And how low could someone go, using someone like Suga to play his stupid games? 

The more he thought about it, the more his heart sank. Did Suga actually agree to come here with him after Oikawa did what he said he did? Did he not think he was worthy of someone better? Daichi turned around, not wanting to see either of them. He was here for Yachi, after all, and, even though it felt like fingernails over a fresh burn, Suga’s personal life could not and would never be his business. 

As he moved through Yachi’s pieces, he kept going back Oikawa. He wanted to pull Oikawa aside, away from Suga, his students, Yachi’s art, and Asahi’s cafe, but he was afraid that, instead of being the bigger person and talking it out, he would just punch the guy in his smug, handsome face. Oh! Better yet, he could text Iwaizumi and embarrass his officemate in front of his best friend and unrequited crush, though he would probably end up paying for that transgression in some way or another. 

After seeing the last of Yachi’s works, he made his way to the corner where this mystery artist had their work. He would glance at it for two seconds before leaving to bury his head in a book forever.

He looked at the piece and time stopped. He was staring at a familiar face, drawn in a familiar style.

The paper was small, about the size of regular letter paper. The artist had cross-hatched most of the paper with a fine pen, so it dark except for a bust bathed in light. Portrait of an Art History Student.

The Daichi in the drawing was wearing the same shirt he had been wearing at the museum, the day he met Suga and their worlds collided. He studied his facial expression and his breath hitched. It seemed like, somehow, Suga captured his face the exact moment that Daichi had seen him for the first time, that moment when he thought he might never see someone as beautiful as long as he lived. Suga got the light smattering of freckles across his tanned skin, as well as the way the tips of his short hair curled ever so slightly. It never occurred to him that Suga looked at him that closely, or that he could ever leave such an impression on a stranger. 

He didn’t know how long he had been standing there when he felt a large presence beside him. 

“Ah, you made it back here.” Asahi was looking at the portrait as he spoke. “Suga really didn’t want this piece up, but Yachi was the boss.” 

Daichi took a couple moments to come up with words. “Yachi said that someone helped her put this together. Was it, was it Suga?”

Asahi looked at him, unsure of what to say. 

Daichi looked at him with pleading eyes.

The barista sighed and started pulling on his hair. “I’m not sure Suga would want me telling you, but here it goes. Yachi and Kiyoko came to our volleyball match last weekend. Turns out they both managed sports teams in high school. Anyway, Suga and Yachi got to talking about art and Suga was ecstatic to hear that she was an artist.”

“Maybe you’ve seen a little bit of this, but he can be a real mom, you know? He asked Yachi about showing her work, found out that she was self-conscious about reaching out to potential venues, and went from there. Pretty soon, he was talking to me and the owner of the cafe, filling out paperwork and asking for favors. He supported Yachi every step of the way, making sure she was comfortable and confident.”

Daichi’s eyes pricked and his face scrunched up to to hold back the tears building up behind his eyes. He thought back to setting up the museum tours, about how much he wanted that opportunity for his students and about how much it meant to him. Hearing that Suga cared just as much was, well, almost too much to bare. 

Asahi paused. “He really wanted tonight to be Yachi’s night, but she insisted that he put up something of his. As a compromise, she got to pick, and she picked this one. Suga asked me to apologize.”

Daichi was confused. “Why didn’t he apologize himself?”

“He didn’t think he would be able to handle it. If it’s not obvious by now, he has, um, a little crush on you, and and when he found out that you had a girlfriend, he didn’t - “

Daichi stood up straight as he remembered the day at the cafe. Michimiya told Asahi that they were on a date, and Asahi didn’t know Michimiya well enough to catch the joke. Suga saw them play fighting. Suga assumed they were together, so he left. 

Asahi sighed. “It’s really a beautiful piece.”

With that, he put a hand on Asahi’s shoulder and started walking toward Suga. For the first time, he didn’t care about all of the things that had worried about over the past couple weeks. The whispering, the department drama, none of it mattered. His students would finish his class and move on with their lives. He couldn’t lie to himself anymore, and he was tired of crushing his own heart. Instead of destroying himself, he wanted to be better, he wanted to grow and to create, like his artists, like Suga, with Suga. 

He joined the group around Suga, who was standing in front of Hinata and Kageyama with Oikawa’s arm over his shoulders. 

Daichi didn’t care that they were in the middle of a conversation. “Can I interrupt?” 

Oikawa tried to speak, but Daichi shook his head. “I’m sorry, that came out as a request. I am interrupting. Suga, would you do me the honor of having a word in private?” 

Suga squinted like he wasn’t sure he liked what was happening.

Hinata piped up, “Suga, you better go with him. It’s his scary teacher face!” Kageyama had already started backing up, pulling on Hinata’s shoulder.

Suga burst out laughing. It was like the sun started to shine again after months of rain. “Hear that Oikawa? I can’t say “no” to scary teacher face.” 

Oikawa huffed and pulled out his phone. Daichi had more important things to worry about, though, as he led Suga away from prying eyes and impressionable students.

When they made it out to the alley behind the cafe, Suga shivered in the rain. Daichi took off his jacket and draped it around Suga’s shoulders, just like he had wanted to that day at the park, just like he wanted to do every day from now on. Suga hesitated before hugging the jacket close.

“Now, teacher, am I getting yelled at? Hinata and Kageyama seemed to be legitimately afraid of you.”

“I’d like to think it’s a healthy blend of fear and respect.” Daichi smirked as his eyes roamed over every part of Suga’s face, drinking in every detail. 

“Sooo, I take it you saw your portrait. Is that awkward? I didn’t know you’d be here.” Suga looked worried. “I hope your girlfriend won’t mind?”

Daichi laughed. “No girlfriend. Never a girlfriend.” 

Suga bit his lip to hide a smile. 

There were so many things to clear up, but there would be time for that later. Daichi kept his eyes on Suga’s face. “Can I ask you a question?”

Suga’s reply was immediate. “Only if I can ask you one.”

Daichi stepped back and held out his hand. Suga took it and they shook hands. Daichi cleared his throat.

“Suga, will you let me take you out on a date?”

Suga looked taken aback for a second before a mischievous grin spread across his face. He waggled his eyebrows. “Can’t say ‘no’ to teacher, can I?”

Daichi smiled back, needing to hear that this talented, sweet, hard-working, surprising, goofy man wanted him too. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, dummy. That’s a yes. My turn.” Suga licked his lips and moved so close to Daichi that their breaths mingled. “Daichi, will you let me kiss you?”

Daichi brought one hand up to cup Suga’s cheek and used the other to comb through his hair. Suga tilted his head back as their lips touched. 

There were no fireworks, rose petals, or whooping cheers. Just two people, in a dingy alley behind a cafe, enjoying the first of many kisses to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for reading. I'm probably going to post a short epilogue in the next week or so, because I can't get enough daisuga fluff, so maybe stay tuned?
> 
> Love and appreciate you all. Srsly.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a couple months later and things might've changed, but Daichi still loves his art. And his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is here! For real! This epilogue is short and STUPID sticky sweet. No cliffhangers, no angst, nope. None of it. You have been warned.
> 
> Thank you all for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting, especially @MistressOfModernMyth, @ActingJester, and @scarlet_breeze. I'm still floored by the support and love shown to be by the HQ community. You guys are truly amazing and make my heart sing.
> 
> I mention my favorite Titian paintings in this short epilogue because it's my world and I do what I want? Here are some links (beware the Renaissance nudity):  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_(Titian)  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Urbino

Months later, Daichi was back at the museum. It was the last day of the special Renaissance exhibit and he was trying his best to take in every detail of every painting. He stood in front of Flora, one of his favorites by Titian, and considered the dreamy quality of her gaze. 

Someone stood next to him and brushed a shoulder against his own. He sighed and turned to the familiar face.

“She’s beautiful.”

Suga nodded, staring at Flora. He purred softly, “you know who else is beautiful?”

Daichi tried to suppress a smile and looked down at his feet. “Who?”

“The Venus of Urbino behind me.” 

Suga muffled a giggle as Daichi let his head fall back on his shoulder and groaned.

“YOU think you’re so clever,” he said as he poked Suga in the side.

“YOU walked right into it,” Suga managed between bursts of giggles.

The phone in Suga’s pocket vibrated, so he checked it as laughter continued to escape his lips. 

Daichi allowed himself to oogle his boyfriend, who looked incredible in a pair of dark red skinny jeans and an oversized cardigan, the same cardigan he wore the night Daichi asked him out. Warmth spread through his limbs as he remembered that day. They decided they didn’t want to wait, so they went out for a drink right after Yachi’s art show. They talked for hours. Daichi swore he felt his hand tingle when he remembered how Suga reached for it while they waited for the train. He remembered how he could scarcely believe anyone in the world could be so lucky. 

Suga responded to the text message. His fingers moved quickly and lightly over the screen of his phone. 

Daichi took a deep breath and admired the bigger picture. His boyfriend stood in a room surrounded by the works of art that he couldn’t wait to spend his life studying. He took a few steps back, reached into his pocket, took out his own phone, made sure the flash was off, and snapped a picture. A real picture. He didn’t have to rely on mental pictures and blurred memories anymore.

The artist, his artist, looked up, saw him taking pictures, and made a goofy face. Daichi’s heart swelled and he snapped another. Suga put his phone back, took a couple steps to close the gap between them, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don’t you have enough pictures of me?”

Daichi thought about it for just a moment before responding, “nope. Sorry. Not even close.”

Suga rolled his eyes but bit his lip to hide the smile spreading across his face.

“Anyway, that was Kiyoko. She said that everyone’s on for later this afternoon. Asahi has to work right up until practice time, but Noya and Tanaka agreed to pick him up and drive straight to the community center.”

He nodded in approval. “Good! We have to whip those miscreants into shape if we want to do well in the community tournament next month.”

Suga stood up straight and saluted. “Aye, captain!”

He heard Suga’s phone vibrate again. This time, when Suga checked it, he held it up for Daichi to see. It was a photo from Hinata, a selfie with his blurry face, wild orange hair, and a thumbs up in the foreground. In the background, Kageyama stared straight at the camera, unsure of what to do.

Suga looked at the photo once more and put his hand over his heart before responding. He tucked the phone back into his pocket in order to focus on the painting in front of them. 

Daichi put his hand on the small of Suga’s back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the artist smile. In that moment, Daichi understood that the world could hold no greater happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sad to say goodbye to this world, but excited to work on my next story. It will be longer, darker, and MAYBE smuttier. We'll see if I have the balls (hah) to go through with it. 
> 
> If it takes longer than expected, I have a bunch of one-shots that are ready to post.
> 
> FINALLY, I know, you're sick of my thoughts, but I wanted to mention that I'm on tumblr (@kellyryancc) and will post updates. It's not the most exciting blog in the world and I post things from a million different fandoms, but I just wanted to throw it out there.


End file.
